Riz Ahmed has become the first British-Pakistani Muslim actor to win an Oscar for Aneil Karia’s live short film, “The Long Goodbye.”
The 39-year-old actor co-wrote the short film and also starred in it. This win marks the first time someone of Asian descent has prevailed in the live-action short film category. The music for the film has been taken from Ahmed’s album of the same name, which was released in 2021, and reflects on his identity as a British Pakistani artist.
In his acceptance speech, Ahmed said: “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ There’s just ‘us.’
“In such divided times we believe the role of story is to remind us there is no us and them, there’s just us.” —Riz Ahmed #Oscars pic.twitter.com/nrKoYZHy4Q
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) March 28, 2022
He added, “This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace.”
Last year, Riz was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a hearing-impaired drummer in Sound of Metal. He didn’t win; instead, Anthony Hopkins bagged the Oscar for his role in Florian Zeller’s “The Father.”
Last year, Ahmed’s nomination marked another milestone in the history of the Academy Awards. He was nominated alongside Steven Yuen in the same category; this was the first time two Asian men had been nominated for best actor.
Watch “The Long Goodbye” Below:
The Long Goodbye displays a south Asian family in suburban London who’s preparations for celebration are interrupted by news reports of an all-white militia, who soon afterward knock on their door.
Riz Ahmed Expresses Disgust at ‘Islamophobic’ Indian Film Sooryavanshi Starring Akshay Kumar. Read the full story here:
British actor Riz Ahmed has expressed disgust at the Islamaphobic Indian film ‘Sooryavanshi‘ starring Akshay Kumar.
Previously, the actor highlighted the “Misrepresentation of Muslims Fuelling Islamophobia “in Hollywood & Bollywood films. A global opinions writer at Washington Post, Rana Ayyub, indicated how the latest Indian film #Sooryavanashi “feeds into the Muslim as the terrorist narrative”
Riz Ahmed Expresses Disgust at ‘Islamophobic’ Indian Film Sooryavanshi Starring Akshay Kumar
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